We were happy to get settled into our apartment last week. We live in a complex with several other senior missionary couples. Our apartment is roomy and comfortable. We have a facilities manager employed by the church who takes care of the senior missionaries who are working out of the area office. We have an office an extra bedroom and 2 1/2 bathrooms, so we will be able to accommodate our family and friends that come to visit.
Our apartment is in a high rise comprised of three buildings. One morning as we were getting into our car (we park it in a semi-covered area in the complex), Elder Thomas noticed a banana peel dropping right out of the sky behind the car from an open area that goes up the height of the building (six stories). As he looked up, on the third story was a monkey sheepishly (his interpretation) looking at him. Apparently, because we live close to the national park, some of the wild residents come over to visit occasionally–particularly when someone leaves a window open, which signals “there’s food in there somewhere.” We’ve heard some crazy stories from senior missionaries who have had them enter their apartments. They leave an awful mess. Yes, that kind of mess. We plan to be vigilant about keeping our windows locked!
This week we were transported to downtown Nairobi to get biometrics completed for our resident card. The mission does not want us to drive in downtown Nairobi. We were relieved that we didn’t have to have that experience this early in our adjustment period. This card is important, because it will save us a lot of money when we go to the many attractions in the area. The Nairobi Wildlife National Park is nearby. This is the only national park in the world that is within city limits. There is also an elephant orphanage, giraffe center and a crocodile farm.
Last weekend we had the opportunity to document our first story as communications missionaries. The occasion was Mazingira Day. Every year on October 10, there are celebrations across Kenya that we could compare to our Earth Day in the U.S. The goal here is to plant 15 billion trees by 2032. For the last six years, the Church has donated a total of 800,000 tree seedlings to this effort, which is important for battling climate change and providing fruit trees to feed families. The event we attended was at a college in Thogoto, just outside Nairobi. Our Area President, Elder Paul Pieper and Area Seventy Elder Johnny Badoo were there, and along with a major general and school principal and other environmental enthusiasts, they helped to kick off the event. It was great fun to watch traditional cultural performances and to interview church members who were there to plant trees. I especially enjoyed watching members of the Massai tribe perform their famous jumping dance. We learned that these cultural performances are part of most humanitarian handovers, so we will get more opportunities to enjoy them in the future. If the article gets picked up by the Church Newsroom, you will be able to view it there. The images shared here are not the official photos taken by a member of the area communications staff. These were taken by Elder Thomas.
Elder Thomas’ hair was getting quite overgrown. Manesh Barbers was recommended by several senior Elders, so he decided to give it a try. When Manesh asked how much he wanted taken off, Elder Thomas said, just clean it up and don’t take much off the top. Before he knew it, his hair was being shaved off. He’s never had his hair cut that short in his entire life. Thankfully, it will grow back quickly and on the bright side, he won’t need another haircut for quite awhile.
On Friday, we were able to attend our first Endowment session at the Nairobi Temple. Many Central Africa Area Mission Leaders were there that day, as they had been in training sessions with the Area Presidency, who recently returned from General Conference. There is a stake center in the temple compound. The temple is a smaller one, but it is very beautiful. The colors, artwork and furniture reflect Kenya very well. The Lord continues to bless us with tender mercies, as Elder Thomas had not realized his recommend had expired. He was sure he had checked the date on it before we left on our mission. The blessing was that Elder Chivunga, the Nairobi West Mission President (we live in his mission area), was there. He was able to to take Elder Thomas aside and interview him for a recommend inside the temple. The sweet temple president had only attended the temple twice before he was given that calling. The Nairobi temple was dedicated in May 2025. It can be a huge sacrifice for those who want to go to the temple to get there. Members travel great distances and it can be a financial hardship. We have a senior missionary in our office who works with the Temple Patron Fund. This church fund can help those who qualify to be able to attend. There are also organizations independent of the Church that can help people who otherwise could not make it to the temple.
As we were leaving the temple after the session, we turned left when we should have turned right. The navigation app on Sis. Thomas’ phone did an interesting thing: instead of having us turn around, it led us into an area that we had no business being in. Here is Elder Thomas’ description of what happened as he related it to our host couple: “Well, we had our baptism by fire after leaving the temple late this afternoon. We followed Waze and went accidentally deep into “shanty-ville” (a major slum area). We were driving on extremely narrow dirt paths, uneven (gutted with ditches, piles of dirt or other stuff) where people were only walking and a car had no business being there. Needless to say, we were freaked out, but had no choice but to get through it — because we couldn’t turn around. It was crazy, but we made it only by the grace of God (thank goodness we had just come from the temple with blessings on our wings).
Sis. Thomas didn’t dare take her phone out to film the really tense parts, but here is what it looked like when we got to some more drive-able parts.
Yesterday afternoon while in our apartment, we heard band music and what sounded like a parade right outside our complex. We just had to check it out. Here’s what we found out. The Hindu temple nearby was celebrating Durga Puja, one of India’s grandest festivals. We learned that it celebrates the victory of the ten-armed warrior Goddess Durga over the shape-shifting buffalo demon king Mahishasura, symbolizing the ultimate triumph of good over evil.
No blog post would be complete without a boda boda picture.
As we think about the last two weeks, a scripture keeps coming to mind: Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” We can testify that this is inspired scripture. We have seen this promise come to pass for us as we have prepared for and begun serving this mission in Kenya. We feel His protection every single day. We know we are where we should be and that we have been prepared by the trials, experiences and opportunities in our lives. Thank you to all of our friends and family that have been and continue to be great examples for us. We love you all!
Elder and Sister Thomas
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